New home - What would you do?

[mxracer317]

Wow!!! Just logged back in and can’t believe all the amazing responses. Thanks! Feel free to keep them coming.

Honestly, I think 5500sqft is a lot too. It’s been one of the sore spots (probably the only one) between my wife and I.

For those wondering, Salt Lake City area. So windows, doors, insulation are a big thing to do IMO.

I’ll go ahead and throw out something we have in our current home that we LOVE in a dry, desert environment -steam humidifier hooked into the duct work. It’s been a game changer.

 

[EYJONAS!]

USB outlets

 

[Elevationwerks]

SIP covered timberframe. I've been an electrician on 11,000+ sq ft. Homes. Plan a larger service. Get a good GC. https://millcreekinfo.com/

 

[Elevationwerks]

Washer/drier in the master closet is nice.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Honestly, I think 5500sqft is a lot too. It’s been one of the sore spots (probably the only one) between my wife and I.

I don’t know how big your family is, but my brother and SIL built a house that was 4200ish square feet. Just the two of them. They quickly decided it was too big and too much of a pain in the ass. They built again a few years ago, and I think they are around 3k now.

 

[Dan O]

When you design your garage make sure you build it big enough. Figure out the length of your longest vehicle and then figure out how much room you will need in both the front and rear of it. Then add a bit more to the final design. Also get bigger garage doors that you think you will need, both height and width. The floor needs to have a slope to aid in draining the snow and slush you will bring in with you. Add floor drains to help with this. A friend put in floor heat in his 40x60 shop/garage and it works great. If your going to store a trailer or boat drive in and drive out garage doors are great if your location has the room for the driveways. Extra electrical outlets and 220 added. If your going to have a cooler or shop area make sure you design it in and not a after thought. Also area for your toys, ATV, motorcycles, sleds or whatever. Everybody has their priority's write yours down make a must have list and work from that.

 

[Wildabeest]

I don’t know how big your family is, but my brother and SIL built a house that was 4200ish square feet. Just the two of them. They quickly decided it was too big and too much of a pain in the ass. They built again a few years ago, and I think they are around 3k now.

I went from 6,000 sqft to 1,350 and couldn’t be happier!

 

[Tradewind]

Always thot the garage should be almost as big as the house. Split about equal between parking and
shop/projects/processing. Got fed up in the first 2 w/ the lighting and maybe went overboard in the
last one but can see in every corner now. If I build another one I will have a hoist that will lift a vehicle
so I can work under it. The heated floor is great. Air lines going to all corners of the garage w retractable;e hose. Floor drains, as mentioned w/ mud room in the garage. Large sinks and running water.
Had a friend who installed sort of urinal outside the back corner of the garage. Almost like and out house
but for only taking a leak. 4 sides w/ a door and a drain.

 

[F250]

My wife and I with two retrievers - 1000 sq ft over an unfinished heated, full basement. Detached two stall garage with attic. Plenty of space for us. Plenty to keep clean.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I hear you. I'm not surprised by much anymore. I've seen 50K bathtubs, 80K ranges and a kevlar walled saferoom. We've done indoor shooting ranges and swimming pools you can control with a smartphone. It's fun. The 80K range was for cooking. mtmuley

College friends house, no idea the cost but the county has it appraised for taxes at 24MM and it’s 22,220 sqft.

Fencing track, squash court, crystal room, wine cellar, guest quarters built to look like the shire, yes hobbit themed, and secret doors with slides between floors.

 

[1_pointer]

If you think it'll truly be a forever home, I'd consider having the master bed/bath and laundry room on the ground floor level. Toting laundry up/down a flight a of stairs can lose it's luster later in life. Minimize the number of steps one has to negotiate to get to that ground/main floor.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Traditional timber frames are extremely expensive. Hybrids offer the best of both worlds. Timber frame look, stick frame construction. Less cost while maintaining the handcrafted look. SIP panels are pretty much obsolete with the advent of spray foam polyurethane. mtmuley

That's what we did with our current house. The floor system for the second floor, and the posts that hold it up, are all post and beam, but the walls and the rest of the house are stick frame. It's a nice look that is much easier and cheaper to accomplish. We cut all the beams here on-site. All the floor beams are pine and all the posts are oak. Some heavy ones!
I can't remember why there's almost nothing on the walls in this pic... I'm not posting a pic of current Covid-house conditions!

 

[rwc101]

My dream setup is about 900-1,200 sqft home, mostly kitchen and living room, and a 3,000 sqft garage out back.

 

[Otto Matic]

Nice Otto. We do a lot of barn doors also. Pretty cool when a traditional closer won't work. Lots of pocket doors too. Hate those. mtmuley

Lumber, rollers and track all salvage.
Note the opening isn't "cased".
The door really serves no "real" purpose. More just a decor item though it now allows separation of the two rooms.
Yes! Despise "pocket" doors! LOL!

"... Down turned outdoor floodlights, outdoor electrical outlets, water faucets on all sides of the home. ..."

The house is small, electrical outdoor outlets on all four corners.
Floodlights on all four corners.
Water on both ends of house.
FIL threw a fit!
"If you don't have a nightlight, they (local thieves) will rob you blind!"
Wife and me didn't want a nightlight. It just gives thieves lighted shopping.
His farm has been hit numerous times.
Twenty years and we haven't been touched!

Boo on electric company provided so called "security" lights! Security my butt!

 

[Otto Matic]

USB outlets

I like that they now have electrical outlets with USB built in! !
A bit pricey, but really nice in bedrooms, etc.

 

[grizzly_]

I'm designing my house now too. One must-have for me...

Two Post Lifts

The two post car lift is the backbone of the vehicle service industry. Rotary two post lifts are designed to help technicians be more efficient and productive–leading to a better ROI for you.

rotarylift.com

 

[EYJONAS!]

I like that they now have electrical outlets with USB built in! !
A bit pricey, but really nice in bedrooms, etc.

Right, there's never enough damn adapters in my house. Id put USB ports in bedrooms and kitchen. Office area if you have one

 

[EYJONAS!]

I'm designing my house now too. One must-have for me...

Two Post Lifts

The two post car lift is the backbone of the vehicle service industry. Rotary two post lifts are designed to help technicians be more efficient and productive–leading to a better ROI for you.

rotarylift.com

That's an ultimate man card symbol there.......

 

[pre6422hornet]

Suspended garage. Makes for way to build a gun safe room with a heavy steel door. Run HVAC to it and a stairway from the upper garage is even better. Not to mention if you live in a tornado area it makes a nice storm shelter.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I've always viewed a house as an investment as much as anything else. In that light, here are my must haves:

1.) off grid capability - solar, geothermal, wood heat, etc. As systems become refined & more efficient, building that capability into the house now means cost savings later in terms of adding solar, wind, geothermal, etc. Plan for it now, and make your architectural plans to match that changing home energy profile.

2.) Love 4 foot hallways. Our new house has them. Makes life a lot easier.

3.) Big kitchen: Counter space galore, and quality cabinets with soft closing hinges/sliders. 30" counters would have been ideal in our remodel, but we were keeping the original cabinets because of their quality. Make it big enough to be an eat in kitchen, add wood cooking capabilities if possible.

4.) Finished pole barn. Ours isn't, and it sucks. Previous owners used the barn as a horse barn, so just a dirt floor. No insulation, no heat, etc. I'/d be in there all the time if it was heated & insulated.

5.) Heated garage with enough room for a workshop. As others mentioned, go deep & have enough space for the most common household tools & projects. We're remodeling our kitchen & have been able to use the garage as a workshop for the tile guy, counter finishing & fabrication & painting cabinet doors. It also has my ceramics studio until we build a small space for me. Make it big enough for counters & a work table.

6.) Think ahead 20 years in terms of technology. USB is changing to USB C, etc so keep that kind of stuff in mind as you set up your electrical system. Making it adaptable to new technology is important (As I eye a 20 year old in-wall vacuum system that has no vacuum left). Changing face plates & outlets is easy & cheap. Rerunning wiring & such, not so much.

7.) En Suite for the Master: It's your spa. Treat it like such. Jetted tub, nice walk-in shower, splurge for the nice throne that can handle all the billiard balls. double vanity. Your wife, and your "aging infrastructure" will thank you.

8.) Tile: It's expensive, but it's worth it. Tile floors, good tile for the bath & shower, kitchen, etc. Make it classy & timeless. New trends shouldn't be reflected in tile. The investment of capital for that material (to me) indicates timeless classicism rather than latest fads.

9.) Hardwood, not Laminate. Resale value here as well. Actual hardwood over laminate is a bit more expensive but not that much moreso if you shop around, and it's a much nicer feel. We've done laminate in a rental, and while it wears great & lasts quite a while, it doesn't have that same warmth that wood does. YMMV here.

10.) Go overboard on your electrical panel. This is part of the planned growth as well. Be able to expand your system by leaving some extra room. We just added 2 240 V circuits, and our box looks like we're the Griswolds.

11.) Wood heat now. Installing a chimney made our decision on heat for us. Building that stack now, versus adding later means you get wood heat forever rather than the shock later.

12.) Make it tight, but let it breathe. Energy efficiency is critical, but don't make it hermetically sealed. Let that house breathe a bit. Our 80 year old house was well insulated & had enough vermiculite to have powered Libby's economy for a fiscal quarter. It kept us cool in the summer & warm in the winter.